Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Hello my blurfing friends (that's blog surfing, hee hee)!! How are you all this sunny Tuesday morning? I'm up and all about today--got ants in my pants and lots to get done, LOL! Tonight I will be sending out all the NEW Sept/Oct pdf subscriptions for Through The Craftroom Door publication---yay! And if you get the paper copy they were sent out today so you'll have them in your hands very soon! I will also be having a Live Chat at my CMC Classroom tonight at 8:30 pm EST and you all are welcome to stop by--it's always a lot of fun, make new friends and talk Copics & Crafts!

And now I have to have a small rant--LOL! You're free to skip this part but it always makes me better to type my frustrations out now & again :) I took the kids school shopping this weekend as you know and my lovely daughter really likes Abercrombie & Fitch and Hollister stores. I think she does this to torture me in a way that is not at first apparent to myself, lol! Those stores STINKKKK--and the music is too LOUD!! Am I just an old fart? Why do they insist on spraying those disgusting, obnoxious colognes thru-out the store---do they NOT want the parents in the store? Cuz' HEY we're the ones paying for their overpriced clothes KWIM! As a paying parent that doesn't like migraines and EVERY SINGLE SENSE overloaded upon entering I need them to STOP!! Blech, makes me sickie poo everytime we enter and I know I embarrass my daughter (ummm big surprise, lol) by holding my nose & making gagging noises thru-out the store, but HEY I'm trying to prove my point to the OBVIOUSLY non-smelling & non-hearing folks that work there! Enuff said!! LOL--thanks for listening!

**Okay--I edited and uploaded 3 NEW Copic QuikBitz Videos on hair coloring! I have 2 more to come along with a separate copic coloring video in store for you later in the week. See below for links & videos and I hope you enjoy them! (they will also be linked on my Tutorials/Templates page above)**

NewsBitz:

-See yesterday's post for some great-smelling Blog Candy, hee hee!

-The CMC Copic Classes On the Road are still ongoing! I have a new location up for pre-registration in Ontario, Canada in November at the Stamplicity Store!! Visit the website at www.cmcroad.com for details!

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Whatcha' Doin'?

Okay, so yeah sometimes I think I live under a rock, lol! I just discovered this fabulous site called "Tiddly Inks" by artist Christy Croll. I knew she drew some of the images for Stamping Bella but had NO idea she had her own fabulous shop with tons of cute digi stamps!! Well a few fell into my cart of course and I just love the little girl images--they are perfect for showing copic coloring techniques too! So this cutie is called "Whatcha' Doin'?" and I used her for one of my Copic QuikBitz Videos below on hair coloring!!

Isn't she a cutie--I just love her! I paired her up with some new & fun papers by Cosmo Cricket called "Togetherness", lots of fun patterns in this pad! I inked the edges of my image again & used my SB's nestabilities to mat it. The ribbon and cs is by PTI--I also added a scroll from my fave Marianne Designs dies and then added some pretty flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts (love this company for paper flowers, highly recommend them)! The bow was made with my Bow Easy tool and then I added another flower to the center and some pearls to finish it off. I love the happy & pretty color combo!

And yes, she's colored with Copics and then I added some stickles to her cute hair bow! (Copics Used: E25,E31,E50/ Y15,Y11,Y00/BG13,BG11,BG000/E11,E00,R20). Make sure to check out the videos below including one on how I colored her hair! Hope you enjoyed this post today!

**If you subscribe to have to access the videos directly from my blog!!** Also I apologize if the volume is not loud enough for you--I am speaking about as loud as I can for ya, so forgive me for not being a super loud gal :)!! Make sure to turn up BOTH your volume on your computer AND the volume control that YouTube gives you on the video---that should crank it pretty loudly!!

Monday, August 30, 2010

Hello and Happy Monday to you all! Blahhhh it's Monday again which means another lonnnnnnng week of work for us all, lol! I have to admit that I'm not a big fan of Mondays--my least favorite day of the week I tell ya! But I am looking forward to our 3 day weekend coming up for Labor Day (for those of us here in the US)--yay--even if some of it we will be doing work around the house! I got some of the kids school shopping out of the ways, but I have to do it in spurts for my own sanity, lol! After we went school shopping we went to our gym so I could sweat out some of my frustration, hee hee--nothing better than sweating off some calories I tell ya! I'll be going to work out again tonight after I get some of my work done--I have 2 appointments today as well as carting the kids to activities so we'll see how much work I REALLY get done KWIM! I have to finish editing 7 videos--yikes--I dislike editing videos almost as much as Mondays, lol! There is nothing worse than listening to yourself over & over and then having to cut seconds off of each video to fit in the DUMB 10 minute time frame that YouTube has! But I hope to have most of them done and up by tomorrow or Wed. for you all---and the majority are all on hair coloring, different color combos and different images for you all. It seems that is the #1 question and frustration I hear from everyone so I did a bunch more for ya!

NewsBitz:

-Don't forget the Copic Creations Challenge Blog HERE is still having their challenge for the next 2 days!! Enter your project that shows "Reflections" with your copics and you could win a FREE Copic Class from my classroom "Color Me Creative"!! So get coloring!

-If you want to check on some upcoming dates and pre-registrations for my Copic Classes on the Road check in at the website www.cmcroad.com! I have some new possible dates/locations in NC, Canada & CT coming!!

-Hmmmm....read this blog post below for some possible smell good treats, hee hee!

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Live, Laugh & Love!!

I just love these Popcorn Bears--they have totally stolen my heart and are soooooooo much fun to color! This lil cutie is from Paper Romance--they have quite a selection to choose from HERE! This card is for the Paper Romance Challenge this week which is to use a cute critter on your project--find the challenge details HERE! I also love the "Live, Love & Laugh" saying--it's how I try to live each day and with positivity KWIM? You never know how long you've got on this planet so you need to make each day count--every morning I put my feet on the floor and am able to get thru the day I count my blessings! So this card just reflects some of that joy and I had such a fun time making this--it just makes me SMILE!

This little Popcorn Bear set is called "Thanks a Bunch" & I colored the flowers the same way they appear on the package cuz' I had picked out these beeeutiful papers from Kaisercraft (Devonshire) already --so I had to match the orange tones. Such a pretty combo of pale blue, orange and green me thinks! The small sparkly square tiles are from my pal Marti's store called Pez-a-Bling---she's got them all on sale now so get yours while they last. They come in so many fun glittery colors! I also inked around my image with my Inkssentials Foam Blender tool--a must have tool I use on all my images--it really gives a soft look to your images and finishes it off nicely.

Of course I colored my image with Copics (fur: E44,E43,E42,E40/flowers: YR18,YR12,YR00,YR0000/YG67,YG03,G20)--see my fur coloring tutorial HERE on how I color these bears (also linked above on my Tutorials/Templates page)! I added some stickles to the petals and then an awesomely cool PRODUCT from Art Institute (read below)!

Okay, so inside each flower I've added this stuff called Element Earth Textures from Art Glitter! Think flower soft but with all natural earthly elements (like corn, wheat, cloves, grass, etc)--they ROCK! And guess what? They smell awesome too so your cards have a really nice scent to them. You put your tacky glue (I used Aleenes & it worked fine) or the special glue they sell on your project, sprinkle & pat them on top and let dry. They come in amazing colors and scents--the one I used above is called "CARROT" and it smells DIVINE! So you're using something totally green, natural and great for the environment--very cool I think!

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And guess what? I've got a secret blog candy for those who have read closely, hee hee!

Let me know "what your favorite scent in the whole world is?"

and you could win 2 of these Element Earth Textures (carrot and maize) AND an Inkssentials Blending tool AND this Popcorn Bear set by entering your comment on this post by Friday!!

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Hope you enjoyed the post today & I'll see you back here tomorrow (hopefully I'll have videos to share with you tomorrow)!

Friday, August 27, 2010

Happy, Happy Friday everyone!! Don't we all love the weekends--wahoo?!! The weather has been absolutely beautiful here in VA and I've had my windows open everyday--the weekend is supposed to be sweet too! We are doing some front yard work on Saturday and maybe doing movie night perhaps. Tonight we are going to Alexa's high school for a tailgate party for the first football game and her first cheering as well---should be fun and the weather is supposed to cooperate too :) They say it will be in the 50's at night--yikes--maybe too cool for me, hee hee---I still want it to be summer ya know!? Sunday it's a toss up between hanging out at our club pool, school shopping or heading down to National Harbor--hmmmmm? School shopping is NEVER fun so maybe we'll do a little bit on Sunday & a bit next week, me thinks!! Note to self: wear earplugs, take aspirin and have a glass of wine ready for afterwards, LMBO!

NewsBitz:

-Come on ladies near or in Canada---I've got pre-registrations up for Buffalo, NY in November for the Color Me Creative Copic Classes!! Tell your friends :) Other pre-registrations are up as well--go to www.cmcroad.com for all the info! If you will be out in LA for CHA in January I will be teaching a copic class on that Friday--if you are interested email me!

-I will announce the birthday blog candy winner on Monday morning for ya'll!!

-Tomorrow I will have some new Copic Quikbitz Videos up--they are all about haircoloring! I get the most questions about hair so I did a few different types of images and using different color combos! Also coming is a video on coloring rusty objects too :)

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Elisabeth Bell for SCACD "AnimaPeeps" Release Today!!

Yayyy! Today is the new release from Elisabeth Bell for SCACD "AnimaPeeps"--they are so cute! Almost Disney like in their cuteness KWIM! Today I'm sharing the image "TLC" with you--the cute girl squirrel is treating her sick lil' dolly--perfect for all those get well/feel better cards! You can find all of these new stamps at SCACD HERE! I used some of my very coveted (and discontinued) Basic Grey "Lily Kate" papers along with some fun embellishments--but SCACD still has some of this paper in stock HERE (snatch it while you can)!

I added some scrolls along the edges of my image with my fave Marianne Designs dies (love them sooo much) and the yellow cs got embossed one of my most used CB folders (swirls). The sentiment is from PTI (Vintage Picnic Basket sentiments) and some fun PTI buttons with a bow on top.

My image was colored with Copics (but of course)--B97,B93,B91/Y13,Y11,Y00/E37,E35,E31,E53,E50! I colored her tail with upwards strokes to replicate the way the fur would lay on her tail--just adds a bit of texture! Viva Decor Glitter Liner on her sleeves for sparkle and then diamond glaze on her & her dolly's eyes!

Hope you enjoyed my project today and stop back by this weekend for my NEW Copic QuikBitz Videos!!

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Good evening everyone! I'm back this evening with my last set of sneak peeks for you featuring the new Gina K set "Lean on Me"--which is also the card club kit this month! What does that mean for you? When you buy this set you also get coordinating cardstock, ribbon and accents to make your cards for FREE! On my cards below I used only what was included in the kit to make my two cards (minus the black cs but I figured everyone had black cs in their stash right? LOL)!! These sets will be released Thursday evening--see bottom of post for party details!

**Once again this is my 2nd post for today, so make sure to scroll down to see the earlier post and video that I did!! Thx!**

This time we were only allowed to use the kit ingredients on our card which was a great challenge! Sometimes I get too wrapped up in putting lots of layers and embellies on my projects when simple and elegant works just as well too. Like I said above I cheated (just a teensy bit) by adding black cardstock to the mix but I HAD to, hee hee! It was giving me an Asian-Zen vibe and I just had to have some black added with this pretty red (all cs is by Gina K in my projects and included in the kit minus the black)!

I stamped my mum/zinnias onto my red cs with white Palette Ink and then added the pretty stem in black. To dress up the outside area more I used my ruler to create two parallel lines with a pencil and then re-traced over it with my black Spica marker--love the subtle sparkle it gives. The sentiment got stamped on white cs and then for just a bit more embellishment I used my hole punch to punch 3 black circles out of my cs since I couldn't use my usual pearls/rhinestones :) These would be super easy to mass produce for a nice gift set for someone special in your life and I love the looks of this card!

Then to change it around a bit, I used the more tropical flowers that are included in the "Lean on Me" set for my second card. Everything on this card is included in the card kit that you get for free when you buy the stamp set! I stamped my flowers onto my white Gina K cs (on one I used the rolling technique to get orange & yellow on the flower). I inked around the edges with my Inkssentials Foam Blender in SU's wasabi green ink that matches this Gina K cs perfectly! The fun edge around the image was made with a border punch and the background was embossed with a new Cuttlebug folder. Then I tied it all up with a pretty bow using my Bow Easy (ribbon is included in kit) and added some stickles to the flowers for more bling!! A bright cheery card for someone and quick & easy too!

Hope you enjoyed my sneaks tonight and make sure to hop around to the designers below for more fabulous projects!

For more samples with the stamp sets being previewed tonight, please check out these participating designer's links:

You are invited to join us for ourRelease party tomorrow night, August 26 from 7-10 central time for contest questions, challenges, and chatter along with tons more samples! The party leads up to the new products featured this week on our blogs being available for purchase online through GinaK Designs at 10 pm. See you there for all the fun!!

Hello friends & Happy Wednesday to ya!! I soooooooooo enjoyed the weather here in VA yesterday--oh my it was only 72 degrees--whoot whoot! I opened all my windows and let the fresh air blow in--it was so nice to turn off the A/C! I took the doggies on an extra long walk which was nice! My background is still a wreck but the patio is finished and they have been putting stone on the fireplace and walls which looks really nice! I'm most excited about getting my stairs off my kitchen--yay--4 years with no back stairs has been a pain in the rear I tell ya, especially with doggies! I will share pictures when it's all done--before and after so you can see it in all it's glory, hee hee! I cannot wait till its done & I will be throwing a HUGE party to celebrate!! Wanna come? hee hee!

And get ready ladies I will be celebrating my MILLION HITS on my Blog the first week of September-there will be prizes each day and one grand prize along with some charity fundraising too!

NewsBitz:

-I have a new product video at the bottom of this post featuring TonerTex glue pen, glitters and foils! Very cool stuff and you can buy it at SCACD HERE! Loveee this stuff!

-Tonight on my Color Me Creative Classroom we're having another LIVE Chat and everyone is welcome to join in! Starts at 7:30 pm EST on the main page--you don't have to be a student to come chat! We talk about all things Copic, crafts and life, always a good time!

-Pre-registrations are ongoing for my CMC on the Road Classes! I'm taking the Copic classes on the road and you can find out details at the website CMC on the Road HERE!

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Just Ducky--Elisabeth Bell for SCACD Sneak Peeks!!

Today I'm excited because I get to share a brand new release from Elisabeth Bell for SCACD sneaky peeky with you! This new collection called "Animapeeps" is so cute and so different from what she usually draws--they will just steal your heart! This collection of stamps will be released this Friday, Aug. 27th at the SCACD Store HERE! And my fellow DT sistah's are sharing sneak peeks this week (see bottom of post for the list)!!

**Don't forget to stop by the store blog and enter for some yummy blog candy too HERE!

I get to show off this cuter-than-pie image called "Just Ducky"---let's all say awwwww! LOL! I paired her up with some yummy papers that I just love by GCD Studios "Homespun". The background was embossed with a newer CB folder and the fun sentiment is by PTI. I used my fave Bow Easy on the bow and added some matching buttons to the top for fun!

This little cutie got colored up with Copics (R85,R83,R81/YG67,YG63,G20/Y11,Y00,Y0000) and then added some diamond glaze to her boots and eyes! The polka-dots on her umbrella got a cool new treatment using a product called "TonerTex Foils"--then I put more diamond glaze just on the cute froggy umbrella eyes! You basically use their special glue pen to attach their foils and glitters to anything you want :)--very cool and fun! You can buy it all at SCACD HERE!

And guess what I did a video which you can see below on how to use these TonerTex products--once you use it, it's VERY addictive and the glitter is so stinking cool!

Okay now here is the list of sneak peekies for this week that the DT will be sharing!

Monday, August 23, 2010

Hello again everyone! I'm back tonight with a sneak peek of a new stamp set from Gina K called "Farm Life" that I think is just fabulous! I love the images in this set all drawn by Theresa Momber! There are 3 stamp sets that are being "sneak-peeked" tonight including Boo! and Faithful Florals so make sure to check out the designers at the bottom of this post to check them all out! Enjoy!

This is my second post for the day so make sure to scroll down to see my other post :)

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Farm Life

I absolutely adore this set "Farm Life"--it is so much fun to color too! I made this card for my hubby to celebrate our wedding anniversary this fall (shhh don't tell him, hee hee)! We will be renewing our vows after 16 years together and I cannnot wait--I love him more than anyone else on this planet, he is the best and has always been there for me and is my best friend. So this card is very special to me and I love how it turned out!

I tried to keep the elements masculine and in fall colors since our anniversary is this fall! But you could easily color this image for any season as well. The papers are by Memory Box and the cardstock is from Gina K (chocolate & sweet corn). The background was embossed with a Cuttlebug folder and I scrunched up the ribbon by laying my scor-tape down first and then applying the ribbon to it. The fun vine (my fave) is by Marianne Designs and then I punched out some fall leaves from my cardstock colors and added them along the vines. I also inked the edges of the leaves and then added some Stickles in gold and copper for some sparkle. And the sentiments in this collection are fabulous!

My entire image was colored with Copics to create a fall scene and then I added some more stickles to the leaves for more sparkle. All the edges of my papers got distressed using my Zutter Distress tool and then I inked all the edges using my fave Inkssentials Foam Blending Tool (best thing evah'--I use it everyday)!!

Hope you enjoyed my card for tonight's sneak peeks---now make sure to check out what the designers have created below (I know they are fantastic)!!

For more samples with the stamp sets being previewed tonight, please check out these participating designer's links:

You are invited to join us for ourRelease party this Thursday night, August 26 from 7-10 central time for contest questions, challenges, and chatter along with tons more samples! The party leads up to the new products featured this week on our blogs being available for purchase online through GinaK Designs at 10 pm. We hope you'll make plans now to be able to join us in all the fun!

Hello and Happy Monday to you my friends! Did you have a good weekend? Ours was pretty darn good and it was a nice balance between getting work done and some fun & relaxing! Riley had a sleepover last night so he's feeling a bit rough today, hee hee! And I expect Alexa back from the Outer Banks this evening as well--she needs bed early as she has practice tomorrow in the heat, blech! I still am having a hard time getting over the fact that she'll be starting high school in September--yikes! And I'm soooooooooo NOT looking forward to back to school shopping this coming weekend with my two kids! NOT FUN! No lie, Alexa is super picky and likes to argue and Riley just whines and complains the ENTIRE TIME! Sometimes I want to stick signs to their backs that say "FREE to Good Home!!", LOL--KWIM?! Nothing good about it and James and I ALWAYS end up with migraines by the time we're finished! And neither of them wear little clothes or shoes anymore so it's always a sticker shock for my poor hubby when we're shopping, hee hee! But I did get all of their school supplies minus their backpacks cuz' I would NEVER want to ASSUME that I know what they want, lol--so they will of course pick out their own bags! Whew, pray for me this weekend :)

NewsBitz:

-NEW Dates & Locations for my Copic Classes are up on the new website CMC on the Road HERE! If you want to take a Copics class or two check it out!

-Gina K Release sneak peeks tonight at 11 pm EST! I will have one up later this evening to share with you and I HEART it so much :)

-Oriental Blog Candy winner (from this post) is: Sandy Owens (LittleLou) who will be celebrating her birthday soon and the fact that she is beating CANCER! Email me Sandy with your mailing addy and congrats!!

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Hugs!

Okay, so lucky me got to pre-order all these fabulous new stamps from Crafter's Companion (makers of Popcorn Bear) while I was at CHA--they're called "S.W.A.L.K."! I won't tell you what a deal they gave me but I was able to get the entire new line and get them early--wahooo--a bonus special I tell ya! I wish I could tell you where to get them but none of the stores have them in yet (boo hoo)--google them to see what comes up & I'll let you know if any stores have them here in the states soon too!

This particular stamp set is called "SWALK Hugs" and I just love that cute lil' kitty she's hugging! I used some of my favorite DCWV "Linen Closet" papers--I love the soft creams and blues! The bow was made with my Bow Easy and the background behind the image was done with a new Cuttlebug Folder set called "Sentimental". I used my SB's Nestabilities for the circles and stamped the sentiment directly on the patterned paper. All my edges got a vintage touch with my fave Zutter Distress It All tool--love that thing!

I colored this cute image with Copics and I paper pieced her dress with some of the matching papers! TIP: make sure when you paper piece that you don't forget to shade the paper with your copics/markers/inks so that it matches the rest of your image or else it will look too flat!! I added some diamond glaze to her eyes and some stickles to her hair bows! She's such a lil' cutie--look for more of these cuties coming soon to my blog!

Friday, August 20, 2010

Howdy friends and a Happy Friday to you all! Wow, we were smoking up the Color Me Creative Classroom last night with our rockin' party--thought the site might crash, lol! It was FAST-paced fun and a total blast--thanks to all the gals who came last night and hope you had fun! I'm resting my fingers today because I typed so much I got cramps, hee hee! Over 60 gals made it to the party and won lots of fabulous prizes--if you haven't joined the site or the CMC Challenge Group yet, whaddya waiting for? LOL--come on it's free and you can win prizes, meet friends and learn stuff too!!

I am finishing editing & shooting videos today that will be shared with you all next week (one today tho!) and then I'm taking some of the weekend off to relax a bit and get some reading done and maybe some pool lounging. It's super sunny here which I'm loving and I have no sports practices to run kids to today! My daughter is off to the Outer Banks until Monday with a friend so it's just the 3 of us. We're thinking about going to our club on Saturday night for Movie Night Under the Stars--Raiders of the Lost Ark is playing and we told Riley he could bring a friend. We LOVE Indiana Jones movies here so it should be fun!! A weekend full of good weather and rest I hope is called for me thinks, both for me and for all of you too!

-Keep up to date on where the Color Me Creative "On the Road" will be at www.cmcroad.com !! New Pre-Registrations are up for Michigan!! Also tentative pre-registrations are up for Buffalo, NY, Charlotte, NC, Wilmington, DE and Port St. Lucie, FL! Go pay your $5 fee to hold your seat and to see if we can get enough students in each class to formally schedule it!! And TELL YOUR FRIENDS :) I thank ya for that!

Today I have a super fun project to share with you featuring my favorite animal print EVER!! Does it look like my blog or what? LOL! I just love it, hee hee! How did I do it--check my video below to see exact instructions!

This is also for the Try It Out Thursday Challenge #81 this week! It's been awhile since I've been able to participate in this challenge and I apologize for that--I've had tons of things going on and just wasn't able to get my challenge "on", LOL! But I'm back and I'm super excited to share my card with you today!

I FINALLY got to play with that awesome Dreamweaver Paste (in translucent) and I was thrilled to death that it was so EASY and FUN to use. I paired it up with this fun zebra print stencil by Crafter's Workshop HERE--you spread a thin layer of this paste on like icing a cake, peel your stencil up and let it dry. Before the paste dried I added some bling to it with two colors of Martha Stewart glitter (tinsel glitter and extra fine--which is on SALE HERE). I did my stencil right on my black cardstock so I'd still have those awesome zebra stripes. The bling swirls are by Zva Creative and then I layered a few fun Prima flowers and topped them off with rhinestones. The sentiment is by PTI that I cut out with my SB's nestabilities "Labels 9" (on SALE 25% off HERE)--I traced the outline of the die onto my cardstock with my black Copic Spica pen for an extra frame and bit of sparkle.

Hope you enjoyed this fun animal print bling-a-rama as much as I did! Try out some of these new products--they're EASY, FUN and FABULOUS and you won't be disappointed!

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Hi all and a great day to you! I'm hoping for lots more sun today after the week of rain we've had and the awful torrential rains from yesterday. I have 5 new videos to shoot and I need SUN to get them done, so crossing fingers. I have passed the point of exhaustion this week so I have no idea what I might say in the videos, LOL! I have to transport children back and forth to sport practices all week too which is disconcerting to my planned day because I have to keep stopping, lol, but that's just the way of the world! I tell my husband all the time that when you work from home you get LESS done during the day and end up working at night to catch up--unlike going to an office where you don't have to start & stop to do things around the house KWIM! Much different! Anywho, I'll keep this short so I can get on with business today and leave you beeeeee too!

NewsBitz:

-If you are in Michigan and want to travel to the Utica/Troy/Auburn Hills area for a Copic Class you are in luck--classes will be Sept. 18th & 19th co-hosted by the Paper Hollow Store! Pre-registration & details is now up at the Color Me Creative "On the Road" site www.cmcroad.com! Upcoming classes will be posted soon as well!

-Tonight is a BIG NIGHT at the CMC Copic Challenge Group---we are celebrating our new group and having a fun prize-filled night of questions and laughs! Come make some friends, have some fun and win some prizes with us. You do not have to be a student to join the challenge group at www.scrapbitzcopics.ning.com (just join the CMC site and then join the group)!

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No You Din'n't!!

Today is a fun challenge day over at Paper Romance Store--check it out and the DT samples at thestore blog HERE! Amy the owner is the hostess this week and she challenged us to use some metal elements on our project! Not a problem! And I got to use this fabulously cute High Hopes image by Dustin Pike called "Catching Some Rays"! LOVE it!

As most of you know I have 5 cats and 2 dogs so I love working with cute animal images! This one called "Catching Some Rays" just made me laugh out loud, my cats are always getting into something every hour of the day. It's like having a daycare full of little children I tell ya :) The sketch I used is this week's SCS Sketch #294 (I flipped it) and I used some Cosmo Cricket and SU papers--love the vibrant, fun colors! I used my Bow Easy to create a bow and then I clipped the bows and frayed them all for a fun look. The sentiment is from an older Hannah Stamps set that I have been dyin' to use and this image was perfect for it--I can just hear the mouse squeakin' "NO You Di'n't!!", LOL! can't you? That aqua background was embossed with a new CB folder set "Retro Kitchen".

The image was colored with Copics and then I added some Diamond Glaze to the fish bowl and kitty's nose for a glassy shine--stickles on the x-ray frame for bling! My metal tag I bought in a pack of 20 from my local office supply store.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Happy Hump Day to you all (and for my frenz across the pond that means Wednesday here in the US, hee hee--so I don't offend anyone)! We are supposed to get torrential and flooding rains today here in VA so I'm praying that it's not as bad as they say it might be! We need the rain but not that way--it just runs off and doesn't do much good but causes a lot of damage. I'm sticking close to the house today except to run Alexa to her cheerleading practice. She's leaving tomorrow to go to the Outer Banks, NC with a friend for a few days so it will just be me, Riley & James this weekend. I hosted a boy sleepover the night before last and my son is still recovering, lol--he doesn't handle staying up that late (3 am) real well. And tonight my daughter is off to the movies with friends and a sleepover--I can't keep up with their busy social lives I tell ya!! LOL! James and I are much easier--we have date night once a week and one afternoon or evening when we run errands. We're not that exciting I guess, hee hee! But that's okay--I haven't read a book in 2 weeks (GASP) and I've got some new ones on my Kindle that are calling my name this weekend I tell ya! I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of "Juliet" by Anne Fortier--I pre-ordered it and its supposed to be released on Aug. 24th! Crossing fingers that I get some reading done cuz' I sure do miss it!

And a big thank you for all the congrats for getting over 1 million hits on my blog--you know it wouldn't have happened without all of YOU! So I thank you each for stopping by and visiting me each week!

NewsBitz:

-Blog Candy is still up for grabs--see this post to enter by Friday!! Also stop by the Copic Creations Challenge Blog and enter the challenge to win a FREE Copic Class at the Color Me Creative Classroom!

-The Color Me Creative Classroom website is up and running and I'm adding dates and locations with pre-registration buttons this week. You can keep track of where I'll be at www.cmcroad.com !!

-Have you joined our CMC Copic Challenge Group yet? What are you waiting for? Anyone that loves Copics can join (join the CMC site www.scrapbitzcopics.ning.com first to join the group--anyone can join)! We're having a Craft inspired "Jeopardy" party on this Thursday night at 8 pm EST and there will be lots of fun prizes given away!

-Also a BIG thank you to 2 ladies for nominating me for a "Cherry on Top" award--I so appreciate the acknowledgement when you do (even if I don't follow the rules, lol)! Nancy (Melrose Miss) and Mary Harmon were so thoughtful to do so this week! I nominate you all for the award as well!!

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Teddy Bear School!

Today is another fun 7 Kids Challenge from the new Challenge Blog HERE! I didn't think mine qualified cuz I tend to overdo the layers (ahem, lol) but Mary assured me I was good to go :) So the challenge is to use ONLY 2 LAYERS of Patterned Paper which I did (I used 3 different patterns but only 2 layers)! And I used this cute new Popcorn Bear set---oh how I adore these cute bears and this one is perfect for going back to school!

The name of this Popcorn Bear set is "School Days" and I just adore it! I kept the vibe of this card a little vintage-y and the colors neutral so it will work for a boy or a girl! The papers were all distressed with my fave tool the Zutter Distress It All and the papers are by Basic Grey's "Oliver" (so cute)! If this sketch looks familiar its because it was my sketch for the Through the Craftroom Door magazine challenge from the upcoming issue. I had so many great submissions that I pulled my card out so I could use more of the submissions :) The buttons & sentiment are by PTI and have a sweet twine bow to top them off.

And of course this cutie was colored with Copics (what else 'eh) and embellished with some stickles and diamond glaze. I LOVE LOVE the lil' duck images that are included in each Popcorn Bear set--so much fun to use and color!

Now hop over to the 7 Kids Challenge Blog HERE to join in on the fun and win a great prize---the DT examples will get you inspired for sure!

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Hello everyone and a happy sunny Tuesday to you all! Wow I have so much going on right now I'm not even real sure what to type up, LOL! So I'll start off with the fact that my entire back yard is dug up and a huge WRECK while the landscapers get our new cabana/patio/fireplace started. It's scary looking right now I will say that but I know in the end it will be beautiful--but no letting the dogs in the backyard right now. I have to leash them and walk the every time they go out which is a HUGE bummer, lol! I had dinner with my pal Marti to plan the next couple issues of Through the Craftroom Door last night along with hosting 3 almost 13 year old boys for a sleepover. And planning travel arrangements for upcoming classes cuz you know the Color Me Creative Classroom is going on the road (check the website for upcoming locations www.cmcroad.com )---right now I'm working on NY and Michigan and SC!!

And the BIGGEST NEWS TODAY TO SHARE---ummm I just realized last night that my lil' ole blog here hit over ONE MILLION HITS!! WOWZAAAA! I knew I was getting close but hadn't checked in a couple of weeks---that's crazy numbers for only 2 years of bloggin'! I'm so humbled, excited and thrilled about it and it certainly is a SWEET BLESSING for me, so guess what? I'm planning a HUGE MILLION HITS BLOG PARTY that will go for an entire week, benefit some of my fave charities and of course have LOTS OF PRIZES for you my friends and readers!! So stay tuned for that this month!

-And to everyone who sent me an email yesterday, thank you---yes I know a kimono and obi is Japanese, LOL! HOWEVER I made the party stuff BEFORE I realized I had used "Chinese Tilda" instead of Japanese Tilda, LOL! That's why I called it an Oriental Party Theme KWIM!! hee hee!

-My pal Marti is closing down her online store to concentrate more on design work and our magazine (and her family including the famous lil energizer bunny Pez, hee hee) So she is clearing out all of her product and it's all 33% off---go HERE to buy up what's left of the Pez-a-Doodle Design store!!!

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Sweet Blessings!!

The other night the Gina K Card Club gals put on a fun blog hop (see details here) and I wasn't able to join in with them. But I have my project to share with you today that is all about celebrations and blessings! We're showcasing a special Card Kit set called "Sweetest Blessings" and it is full of yummy images for every celebration!! When you buy this stamp set "Sweetest Blessings" you get the card kit for free (includes sheets of pretty colored cs, the stamp set and this gingham ribbon) !

I don't know why my photo above looks curved but it's really not in real life, lol--I must have messed up my camera setting. I used all the contents that come in the Card Kit but I cheated just a bit (please forgive me)--I added a sheet of PTI polka dot cs and buttons. I couldn't help myself and I know everyone has buttons on hand and some paper that they could add to their cards as well right? LOL! I tried really hard but I can be a bit of a rule breaker, hee hee! And Gina sells LOTS of pretty buttons HERE!

This is only one of many cute images in the set all featuring SWEETS that are yummy! I colored this with Copics and added some stickles to the white frosting and crystal lacquer to the platter & cherries for extra bling and texture!

Monday, August 16, 2010

Hello and welcome to another work week everyone, lol! Sometimes the weekends go by wayyyy too fast I tell ya! Ours was jam-packed and busy but fun! I posted on both Saturday and Sunday so you can read all about our adventures on the posts below if you like! I'm typing up this post at 1 am in the morning after finalizing the Sept/Oct. issue of the Through the Craftroom Door magazine that my pal Marti and I started in April. Each issue gets larger and larger and the next issue is a Special Holiday Publication which will go out in October---that will be a whopping 22 pages (the largest so far for us) and jam packed full of Fall and Winter Holiday projects and ideas! If you are interested in seeing what we're all about you can visit the website HERE! And we're always looking for submissions of any kind of handmade crafts from everyone--submit your project at craftdoor@yahoo.com anytime! We are not just a papercrafting publication, we welcome crafting of all types so don't be afraid to submit to us---we WANT to see your gorgeous projects in print!

NewsBitz:

-I have been very negligent in announcing the last two Blog Candy winners (gasp-smack me)! So without further ado I have listed them below for you! Both winners please email me with your addresses so I can get your goodies out to you asap!

-Want to keep up to date on where I will be traveling when I take the Color Me Creative Classroom on the road? The new website is CMC-On the Road at www.cmcroad.com--I will be updating it lots in the next week with upcoming locations so keep a lookout! Also join in on my new CMC Copic Challenge Group at the Color Me Creative Classroom (anyone can join--join the main site and then click on GROUPS to join the challenge group)--we'd love to see you over there! Check out the NEW Cricut Classes there too!

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Birthday Celebration Blog Hop!!

**Warning: This Post is long, full of pictures and goodies, lol**Blog Hop Starts at 4 am EST!!

Today the Magnolia-licious DT is having a fun-filled Birthday Celebration Blog Hop to celebrate the lovely Diana Crick's birthday this month! All the projects you will see today on the hop all all Birthday Themed and full of fun and inspiration! You can find all the details about the hop and how to join in the fun at the Magnolia-licious Highlites Blog HERE! If you are coming to me from Patti Jo's Blog then you're on the right track!

I cheated just a bit (please forgive me, hee hee)--we were supposed to create a birthday card and altered item and I got a little carried away!! I decided to create a Oriental Themed Birthday Celebration Party Pack!! I just adore the new little "Chinese Tilda" on my project (although she could be used for Japanese too in my humble opinion, lol) and I couldn't help but make some fun party projects. I LOVED doing themed parties for my kids when they were little and I always got carried away (big surprise, no?) and now that they are bigger I don't get that chance as much! Find all the NEW Bon Voyage Magnolia stamps at Magnolia-licious HERE (lots of kids from around the world that will melt your heart)!!

For my party celebration I created some fun Chinese Lanterns that I found online directions for HERE--very easy to make and alter the size of. The green lantern was embossed with my "cherry blossom" CB folder before putting together--both got strips of patterned paper around the top, matching handles and some flowers that I made with my Nellie Snellen paper punches (email if you're interested in these). These would be super cute with tea lights inside of them at every place setting--favors that your guest could take home. The scrolls on the lanterns and cards were done with my super fave Marianne Designs dies (see here for US & here for overseas).

The entire project's color scheme got started with some beautiful papers I have from Memory Box called "Gossamer"--I loved the soft colors and pattern paper that had the flowering tree on it. And this cute "Chinese Tilda" is just to-die-for fabulous! I was inspired by her parasol so I made a fan flower that replicates the shape using my Scor-Pal & tape (see a tutorial here) and added it to the bow made with my Bow Easy. Again the scrolls were made with the same die that I used above and then I added a button with a large pearl atop of the flower.

She's colored with Copics of course (R83,R81,RV10/YG03,YG00,YG0000, C's for hair). I also added some W3 & W1 to gray/shadow parts of the image. I added some stardust stickles to a few areas for bling and then some Viva Decor Pearl Pen (in Ice White) to the very tips of her parasol and the centers of the cherry blossoms on her dress/kimono.

You can't have a Birthday Party without invitations right? So I found a fabulous online tutorial (see here) that showed how to make these fun kimono shaped invites! (I have no idea if kimono is Chinese or Japanese so just go with the Oriental Over-all Theme, 'kay?)!! These are easy to make and mass produce making them perfect party invites. I made mine out of pink PTI cs first and then added my patterned paper, strips of green cs for trim and an obi sash (it's a belly band that slips off) to keep it closed. The pearls on the collar were done with the same Viva Decor Pearl Pen and then I inked all the edges with pink ink.

When you open the kimono by slipping off the decorated obi sash you see the party details inside. Obviously you can make them larger and more detailed than I have, but mine is just a fun example! The Obi Sash was decorated with a strip of ribbon tied off in a flat knot and then I added small scrolls from the same die I've been using from Marianne Designs.

And last but not least we have some YUMMERS to eat at the party! Mine is Edy's Vanilla Bean ice cream with pink sugar sprinkles in some beautiful antique gold-rimmed dessert cups I have (thanks Mom)! I used the same directions as above to create a larger fan flower---this time I used a border punch on the edge first and gathered it around a candy stick (I buy bags of them at Michaels) to make a fun Parasol Treat Stick. Doesn't that look so pretty and think how nice a bunch of these would look on a table for a party! Delish and Cute!

**Can't have a Birthday without PRESENTS right? Well, I've got some to share with you! Tell me what AGE your favorite birthday was by this Friday and you could win 2 NEW Bon Voyage Magnolia Stamps (your choice), Gossamer pack of Memory Box paper, a Viva Decor Pearl Pen and a pack of Pink Paislee Artisan Scrolls!!

Okay I'm sure I've taken up enough of your time here and you've got lots more hopping to do---so your NEXT STOP is ANGIE and I know she'll have something spectacular to share with you all! Happy Birthday to our sweet Diana as well!!